NewsUpper SchoolStudent LifeResidential Life
Resident students meet Rome Parents
Oct 1, 2003 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
The Parents Association School hosted a special dinner for all boarding students and their Rome Parents at the Huffman Center, Sept. 21. For many new students, the function served as an introduction to both their Rome Parents and the program as a whole.
The Rome Parent Program, run by the School’s Parent’s Association, is just one of the many special features of Darlington’s boarding experience. At the beginning of every year, each resident student is matched with a volunteer host family in the local community who has some connection to Darlington. Though many host families have children of their own in the Upper School, the program is also open to all Lower and Middle School families in addition to any friends of Darlington. The hosts then act as a home-away-from-home for the dorm students, providing a place to stay on weekends, food, and the occasional surprise gifts. For many Rome Parents, the boarding students become valued members of their own families.
To mark the special occasion of the dinner, Gordon Neville, associate headmaster and dean of students, offered comments to the gathering about how unique Darlington School is and how the Rome Parents Program contributes to that uniqueness by helping to foster a real sense of community.
Though dinner was prepared by SAGE Dining Services, many Rome Parents could not help bringing some of their own home-cooking to the event, a taste of many future meals throughout the year.
The Rome Parent Program, run by the School’s Parent’s Association, is just one of the many special features of Darlington’s boarding experience. At the beginning of every year, each resident student is matched with a volunteer host family in the local community who has some connection to Darlington. Though many host families have children of their own in the Upper School, the program is also open to all Lower and Middle School families in addition to any friends of Darlington. The hosts then act as a home-away-from-home for the dorm students, providing a place to stay on weekends, food, and the occasional surprise gifts. For many Rome Parents, the boarding students become valued members of their own families.
To mark the special occasion of the dinner, Gordon Neville, associate headmaster and dean of students, offered comments to the gathering about how unique Darlington School is and how the Rome Parents Program contributes to that uniqueness by helping to foster a real sense of community.
Though dinner was prepared by SAGE Dining Services, many Rome Parents could not help bringing some of their own home-cooking to the event, a taste of many future meals throughout the year.
